Jerry Merke

Jerry Merke was a corrupt union boss who served as President of the International Longshoremen's Association local in Cleveland, Ohio during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1961, he was replaced by Danny Greene after Greene beat Merke up for sending a hitman to kill him.

Biography
Jerry Merke was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and he became a union official for the International Longshoremen's Association. He was known to exploit his workers; for instance, in 1961, he prioritized fulfilling a ship-emptying contract  over ensuring that his workers remained healthy in 110° heat. That same year, he sent a hitman to kill his rebellious employee Danny Greene after Greene refused to share the profits of a stolen goods operation with him, but Greene beat up the hitman and then beat up Merke. Merke was then thrown out of his office, and Greene took over the presidency of the local chapter.